Residents stare at hunger after crop failure

Kapenguria,

Saturday September 9, 2023

KNA by Anthony Melly/Richard Muhambe

Thousands of residents in North Pokot Sub County and other pastoral zones in West Pokot County are staring at drought and food insecurity following failed rains leading to poor harvest recorded last season.

Spot checks in the areas have revealed that farmers are counting losses after their crops withered and failed owing to rain failure in the arable areas.

About 67,000 people in the semi-arid area risk starvation following prolonged drought that has hit the area in the past three months.

West Pokot National Drought Management Authority coordinator Mike Kimithi said that the hunger situation in North Pokot Sub County and other pastoral zones was in alert stage and the entire county was in the normal stage.

"There is near total crop failure in North Pokot Sub County,” he confirmed. 

He cited 10 percent of the population as having a food deficit with 67,000 people in the county facing acute food shortage.

 Kimithi said that the government has put in place strategies to increase relief food distribution in the county targeting the most vulnerable.

Most farms under maize in Konyao, Orolwo, Kodich, Natemeri, Kalemeri, Kamla, Ombolion, Ombolion, Kasei,Turkwel, Kiwawa, Kodich,Alale, Kasei, Takaiywa,Chepkobhee ,Suam ,Kodich,Kiwawa, Turkwel, Chepkopegh, Nyangaita, Takaywa, Lorogon,Kasses,Konyao, Alale, Sarmach areas had shriveled crops.

Although most rivers and streams were replenished following three weeks of heavy rains late last year, a long hot and dry season that followed dashed the hopes of farmers, as crops were damaged.

Farmers, who mainly rely on rain-fed agriculture for subsistence agriculture said they are facing starvation due to total crop failure that was experienced in the region during the previous planting season after their maize and beans prematurely dried on their farms.

“We harvested nothing since all the maize we planted withered,” regretted Phillip Yator a farmer from Chepkobhe area.

He said his 5 acres of maize had been affected by the failed rains and appealed to the government to aid families through relief food supplies.

 “I used a lot of money in planting but got nothing because drought destroyed my maize and this season is still going to be worse,” he lamented.

 Jackson Yaramket from Alale area observed that grass in the area has dried worried that the animals have nothing to graze on.

“We have not received rain for a long period of time and some people have been forced to migrate to other greener places such as Uganda with their animals in search of food, pastures and water, with women and children being left behind,” said Yaramket.

 “It is becoming hard for our children to go to school as we wasted our money on the crops. The government should move with speed to help us,” he explained.

Farmers said lack of sufficient rainfall and the scorching sun that was experienced between February and July have affected maize crops in most farms.

Kasei ward Member of County Assembly Francis Krop who has fallen victim expressed concern over the fate of farmers stating that approximately 500 of them have been affected after over 10,000 acres under maize failed.

“The government should put up measures in place to deal with the food shortage. Many farmers will harvest nothing because all their crops have withered,” Krop said.

He appealed to the government to increase the ration to incorporate all pupils who enroll in the school.

“The school feeding programme, which his school is a beneficiary of, only offers the supplement for lunch,” he said.

He said most parents were now contemplating taking their children to boarding schools so that they can benefit from the meals offered in the schools.

“The Government brought subsidized fertilizer and seeds but now the drought has destroyed crops,” he regretted.

He said that he has taken a motion to the County assembly for the executive to allocate funds to buy food for hunger stricken families.

“Three-quarters of West Pokot is semi-arid. We have no harvest this time apart from highlands,” he explained.

West Pokot Women representative Rael Kasiwai said that climate change effects have affected farming in the region.

“We need to dig water boreholes for people to do farming,” she said.

She advised residents to plant short-season crops to avoid such losses.

Courtesy; KNA